Nigerian Women at the Forefront of Protests over Police Brutality Sweeping Lagos and Other Cities across Nigeria
New
Age Islam News Bureau
19
October 2020
• Ohud Abdullah Almalki, Saudi Woman Draws World’s Largest Coffee Painting Using Expired Granules
•
In A Post-Taliban City of Qandahar, Afghanistan Muslim Women Are Sneaking Into
a New Gym to Secretly Work Out
•
Joumana al-Rashed, First Saudi Arabian Woman Named New CEO of Saudi Research
and Marketing Group
•
UK Slavery, Trafficking Order Imposed On Woman Who Recruited Malaysian Workers
•
Top 10 Moments for Saudi Arabian Women since Vision 2030
•
How Saudi Nonprofit Alnahda Blazed a Trail in Women’s Empowerment
•
Waiter jailed for secretly filming women in Dubai
•
Order of Royal Commendations Conferred On Five Omani Women For Their
Contribution To Nation
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/nigerian-women-forefront-protests-police/d/123194
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Nigerian Women at the Forefront of Protests over Police Brutality Sweeping Lagos and Other Cities across Nigeria
By
Mariam Adetona
17
Oct 2020
Protesters
say they will stay on the streets until their demands are met [Courtesy
EbryhheemXpress/Al Jazeera]
-----
Thousands
of people have been taking to the streets of Lagos over the past week to
protest against police brutality – and Irianele Virtuous has always been there,
always working behind the scenes.
Her
mission? To support her fellow demonstrators.
“My
focus is making sure people in these large gatherings don’t get dehydrated,”
said the 22-year-old. “I’m always ensuring that water is on the ground, that
glucose is available, as well as food [and …] masks so that people will wear
them to shield against coronavirus.”
Virtuous
is just one of the many women at the heart of the peaceful protests sweeping
Lagos and other cities across Nigeria, helping to organise and fundraise the
demonstrations as well as strategising on how to use the movement’s momentum to
achieve substantial changes in the country.
And
while some women – like Virtuous – prefer being away from the limelight, others
have no problem assuming a more visible role.
“I’ve
been talking with the [journalists] at protest grounds, speaking with
government officials,” said Baliqees Salaudeen, a prominent female activist in
Ilorin, Kwara state. “I have been putting in my resources and I have used my
influence to encourage people to really get involved.
“I
am really proud of this movement and I believe we’re making progress.”
Mobilised
through online platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, the youth-led protests that
began on October 8 initially targeted the federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad
(SARS), a notorious police unit long accused of harassment, torture, extortion
and extrajudicial killings.
After
days of #EndSARS demonstrations across Nigeria and the diaspora, authorities on
Sunday announced the dissolution of SARS and later ordered all personnel to
report to the police headquarters in the capital, Abuja, for debriefing and
psychological and medical examination. Meanwhile, the forming of a new Special
Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was announced to replace SARS.
However,
the announcements did not satisfy protesters, who viewed them as just another
renaming exercise and pledged to stay on the streets until their demands are
met.
These
include the immediate release of all arrested protesters, justice for all
deceased victims of brutality and appropriate compensation for their families,
an independent body to oversee the investigation and persecution of all reports
of police misconduct, psychological evaluation and retraining of all disbanded
SARS officers before they can be redeployed, and an increase in police salary
so they are adequately compensated for protecting the lives and property of the
citizens.
“They
did this rebranding in 2018, changing from SARS to F-SARS yet nothing about the
officers changed. They have continued harassing us,” Seun Gbadamosi, a 23-year
old protester in Ibadan, said.
“Last
week, they harassed me and my friends, called us [bad names] and said they
wanted to feast on us.
“This
is why we protest; this is why we march. We want total disbandment; we need
actionable changes. We have given them our five demands, once it’s done, we’ll
get off the streets. Until then, I’ll keep bringing people out here to
protest.”
Meanwhile,
the Feminist Coalition – a newly formed women-led NGO campaigning for gender
equality in Nigeria that has also been at the forefront of the protests – said
it had crowdfunded more than 37 million naira ($97,000) to support the movement
with first aid supplies, masks, food, water, hospital bills for injured
protesters, and more.
Members
of the group have also been involved in the release of detained protesters and
the provision of legal counsel to those still under arrest.
“We
asked for five things, they’ve barely done one. The protests are far from done,
I am going to be at this for as long as I can,” Virtuous said.
“We
are not backing down for anything until our five demands are met, every single
one of them. Once these are met, we’ll relax, then we’ll reassemble again to
face other sectors.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/17/nigeria-women-protesting-against-police-brutality
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Ohud
Abdullah Almalki, Saudi Woman Draws World’s Largest Coffee Painting Using
Expired Granules
October
18, 2020
Ohud
Abdullah Almalki, known as ‘The Artist of the Nation’, draws the largest coffee
painting in the world using expired granules, illustrating seven renowned
figures of Saudi Arabia and the neighboring United Arab Emirates.
-----
JEDDAH
— Ohud Abdullah Almalki, known as ‘The Artist of the Nation’, marked an
incredible milestone by becoming the first Saudi woman to achieve a Guinness
World Records title singlehandedly, the global authority on record-breaking
achievements said.
The
Al Naseem neighbourhood product in Jeddah draws the largest coffee painting in
the world using expired granules, illustrating seven renowned figures of Saudi
Arabia and the neighboring United Arab Emirates.
Two
giant pictures of the founding fathers of the two nations, the late King
Abdulaziz Bin Abdul Rahman, and the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
On
the painting as well, pictures of KSA and UAE rulers including the Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh
Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Crown
Prince Muhammad Bin Salman are painted.
Bearing
in mind the waste, Almalki used approximately 4.5 kg of expired coffee powder
only. She painted all the figures in hues of brown mixing the coffee powder
with water. The edges are done with the “Saud” style that is a traditional
Bedouin decoration style.
“It
took me 45 days of continuous work to complete, under the watchful eyes of two
witnesses, video recording and drone footage,” Almalki said. “My aim is to
remind the world of the centuries-old entente between the two nations.”
This
painting is called Naseej 1, and it is spread over 220.968 square meters, 15.84
meters long, and 13.95 meters wide. It is made out of 7 connected cotton
cloths; each measuring 15.84 meters long x 2 meters wide.
“Normally,
only one kind of coffee is used in such paintings, but I have used 4 different
shades of brown coffee. I used several rollers and paintbrushes of different
sizes to finish this project.
A
drone footage of the painting was shown in “Mokhatat Ar-Riyad” neighborhood in
Jeddah with the artist behind the painting with her father.
Women
of Saudi Arabia took part in previous Guinness World Records attempts, but this
is the first time a Saudi woman achieves a GWR world record on her own.
In
2015, the largest human awareness ribbon consisted of 8,264 participants and
was achieved by the women of Saudi Arabia at an event organized by 10KSA in
Riyadh.
As
a student in 5th year of College of Law at King Abdulaziz University, in
Jeddah, Almalki has already taken social media by storm, featuring weekly on
popular TV channels across the MENA region.
“This
tremendous feat would have been impossible without the support of the people
around me. I wish this will contribute to empowering the women in Saudi Arabia
and beyond,” she said.
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/599270/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-woman-draws-worlds-largest-coffee-painting-using-expired-granules
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In
A Post-Taliban City of Qandahar, Afghanistan Muslim Women Are Sneaking Into a
New Gym to Secretly Work Out
October
18, 2020
Muslim
women face varying amounts of oppression from men depending on where they live.
In some regions like Lebanon, Turkey, Morocco, Israel and the UAE, women are
relatively as free as the men to drive, work — and yeah work out. While some
women may dream of going to a post-workout Starbucks in Lululemon hot pink
workout pants – in Afghanistan women are fighting for the right to work out at
all.
In
a post-Taliban city of Qandahar, Afghanistan Muslim women are sneaking into a
new gym to secretly work out. Though I am not sure how secret that may be now
that the story was covered in the New York Times.
Some
women say they faced depression and health problems and felt joining the gym – founded by a women’s rights activist
Maryam Durani (who survived two suicide bombings and death threats) was the
only thing they could do for their well being.
Even
Muslim women walking around outside in certain villages in the Bedouin society
in Israel is not considered acceptable. So given the restrictions there aren’t
a lot of creative ways for every Muslim woman to exercise. I have noticed a
growing number of Muslim women walking in conservative workout gear in Jaffa,
something I hadn’t seen let’s say 5 years ago. So times are changing, even in
Afghanistan. And while women in America fought to wear pants in the 1930s,
Afghani women are fighting for the treadmill.
The
gym was started last year in a basement, guarded by security, and away from
prying eyes.
“Kandahar
is a very difficult environment for women. We have to be careful and discreet.
The club is as much for women’s mental health as their physical health. Almost
every woman who comes here is depressed,” she told the New York Times. Before
Covid hit she had about 60 women as members of the gym. Today there are about
30.
One
gym member who refused to give her name said, “My father and brothers said they
would kill me if I went to a health club.” Instead she puts on a white robe and
says she is going to the madrasa, a place for studying the Quran.
While
there is a health club for women in the city of Kabul, some areas like Kandahar
are extremely conservative.
In
my city the Muslim women enjoy a day at the gym every other day of the week at
the Jewish Arab Community Center, which is sensitive to Muslim modesty needs.
That’s women on one day, and men on the other.
There is a beach in North Tel Aviv which operates for the same reasons
one day men, one day women, but for Orthodox Jewish families who practice
similar modesty laws by choice.
I
support any society that wants to be modest, but not the ones enforcing the
rules that clearly dehumanise others.
In
Bedouin towns in Israel such as Rahat women are not allowed to have free
movement including going to work, and walking around the village, so it really
depends more on village and town customs, and how men from the families enforce
their religious observance, more than a country-wide oppression.
Over
in Afghanistan social media posts are calling the gym ‘a house for whores, so
women can make themselves look better for men’. Women who visit the new gym
have been threatened outside and hit with stones and death threats should they
return –– a barbaric response to a basic human need to feel fit.
We
need a little more Rumi
Even
though the Taliban have left the city the women face the same control by men
exerted over them as though the terror group never left, they say.
Afghanistan
wasn’t always so repressive towards women. Neither was Iran. Repressive and
oppressive regimes have turned both countries into backwater states, with
barely a hint of their former selves.
My
husband’s great-grandfather was born in Balkh, previously Persia and now
Afghanistan, the same town where Rumi, a Muslim Sufi came from. I consider Rumi
to be one of the world’s biggest spiritual guides, teaching humility, love for
nature, love for god. Years ago his town and region was a mystical and cultural
magnet from which the West met the East in much more than trade of goods, but
where spiritual ideas looking for the truth and god collided.
Sadly
the god of the bullies has taken over and we need to help the women in these
impoverished places rise up – one sit up at a time. And remember even
progressive-looking women can be married to despots. Read our story about
Bashar al Asad’s London-born wife Asma al Asad. And the fiasco with Vogue.
https://www.greenprophet.com/2020/10/hijab-bombshell-workout-gear-afghanistan/
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Joumana
al-Rashed, First Saudi Arabian Woman Named New CEO of Saudi Research and
Marketing Group
Joanne
Serrieh
16
October 2020
The
Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG) has appointed Joumana al-Rashed as
the new chief executive officer (CEO), the company announced in a statement.
Al-Rashed
is the first Saudi Arabian woman to hold the position.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
new CEO was previously a media adviser and communications director. Al-Rashed
received her masters degree in international journalism from City University in
London in 2013.
Al-Rashed
will now lead SRMG, one of the region’s top media entities, directing the
Kingdom in another step toward achieving Vision 2030.
Saudi
Vision 2030, a reform plan spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,
aims to diversify the country’s economy and includes increasing women’s labor
force participation.
The
Kingdom aims to provide jobs for around one million Saudi Arabian women as part
of the reform plan, Mishaal al-Balawi, an official at the Permanent Mission of
Saudi Arabia to the United Nations in Geneva, announced in July.
“The
Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program 2020 have put women
empowerment among their most important priorities,” al-Balawi said.
Al-Rashed
joins other Saudi Arabian women appointed to other top positions in various
fields.
In
July, Dr. Lilac al-Safadi was appointed as the first female president of a
co-educational university in Saudi Arabia. In the same month, Saudi Arabia also
announced the appointment of 13 women to the country’s Human Rights Council
(HRC), with women now accounting for half of the board members.
In
August, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques
appointed 10 women to senior leadership positions within its ranks.
Earlier
this year the World Bank released a report that found Saudi Arabia’s economy
made the biggest progress globally toward gender equality since 2017.
The
World Bank’s “Women, Business and the Law 2020” study, which tracks how laws
affect women in 190 economies, scored Saudi Arabia’s economy 70.6 points out of
100, a dramatic increase from its previous score of 31.8 points.
Saudi
Arabia was the country to make “the biggest improvement globally” since 2017
according to the World Bank press release, including advances in women’s
mobility, sexual harassment, retirement age and economic activity.
The
study found the Kingdom enacted reforms in six out of eight indicators
associated with women’s economic empowerment, from June 2017 to September 2019.
“Saudi
Arabia basically has become one of the leaders in the Arab world in terms of
women empowerment,” World Bank’s Regional Director for the GCC Issam Abu
Sulaiman said, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/10/16/Meet-Saudi-Arabia-s-Joumana-al-Rashed-newly-appointed-SRMG-CEO
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UK
slavery, trafficking order imposed on woman who recruited Malaysian workers
October
19, 2020
PETALING
JAYA: A woman investigated for exploiting people from Malaysia has been slapped
with a Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order (STRO) in Nottinghamshire, England.
The
Nottingham Post quoted police as saying the woman, whom it identified as
Suhaida Mahiyudin, 37, used Facebook to recruit workers from Malaysia, exposing
them to exploitation.
It
said the order – the first in Nottingham and one of only 14 granted in England
and Wales in the last year – will last for 10 years.
The
report said the order against Suhaida, from the settlement of Toton in
Nottinghamshire, was made by the Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Oct 12.
It
said Suhaida was previously investigated for recruiting workers from Malaysia
as nannies with a view to exploiting them.
Suhaida,
it said, is bound by six conditions which, if breached, will result in a
criminal prosecution.
The
order prohibits her from facilitating international travel or accommodation for
any person other than herself or members of her immediate family, unless she
has written permission from Nottinghamshire police.
She
also cannot reside at the same address as any other person other than her
immediate family without seven days’ prior notification of the force’s chief
constable.
Another
condition states that she cannot be in possession or control of any official
documentation belonging to a third party, including passports and bank cards.
The
report quoted Det Insp Paul Lefford, from Nottinghamshire police’s dedicated
Modern Slavery team, as saying the order came after eight months of police
investigation.
“The
court found that Suhaida had acted in a way that there is a risk of committing
a slavery or trafficking offence and this order is necessary to protect the
public,” he said.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/10/19/uk-slavery-trafficking-order-imposed-on-woman-who-recruited-malaysian-workers/
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Top
10 moments for Saudi Arabian women since Vision 2030
Reem
Krimly & Omar Elkatouri
18
October 2020
The
empowerment of Saudi Arabian women is at the heart of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030
reform program, with far-reaching social and economic goals including
increasing women’s economic participation rate from 17 percent to 25 percent
this year.
Since
the launch of Vision 2030 in April 2016, Saudi Arabian women have already
benefited from a range of reforms, gaining the right to drive among other
advances.
Here
are the top 10 most important.
1)
The right to drive
Saudi
Arabian women were officially allowed to drive at the stroke of midnight on
June 24, 2018 as a royal decree granting them the right to drivers’ licenses
came into effect.
“I
felt very independent, it was empowering – I felt free.” This is how 30
year-old Riyadh resident Maha Althuwaini described her first time taking the
driver’s seat in the Kingdom.
The
impact of the policy can be seen in the drop in non-Saudi household drivers,
previously one of the main ways women travelled, from 1.4 to 1.3 million at the
end of 2018, according to the Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Development.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
2)
Access to sports
In
the same year, Saudi Arabia allowed families into sports stadiums for the first
time, in a landmark move that opened up the previously male-only venues to
women and children.
The
move is in line with Vision 2030’s development of the sports and entertainment
sectors for both men and women. Female participation in sports in Saudi Arabia
has risen by 149 percent since 2015, according to Sports Minister Abdulaziz bin
Turki al-Faisal.
3)
First female ambassador
The
Kingdom gained its first female ambassador in February 2019, when a royal
decree appointed Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan al-Saud as the Saudi
Arabian ambassador to the United States with a ministerial ranking.
In
July 2020, Princess Reema was elected as a member of the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) after her inclusion was approved during the sporting body’s
136th session.
The
Kingdom has since appointed six women as cultural attaches, expanding women’s
role in the diplomatic corps.
4)
Freedom to travel
Saudi
Arabia published new laws on August 2, 2019, allowing women above the age of 21
to apply for passports and travel freely without a male guardian’s consent,
which had been required previously.
Other
changes issued in the decrees allowed women to register a marriage, divorce, or
child’s birth and to issue official family documents. It also stipulates that
either the father or the mother can be a child’s legal guardian.
5)
Right to live alone in landmark case
In
July 2020, a Saudi Arabian court ruled in favor of a woman who was on trial for
living and traveling on her own to the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh, without her
father’s permission.
“A
historic ruling was issued today, affirming that independence of a sane, adult
woman in a separate house is not a crime worthy of punishment,” Abdulrahman
al-Lahim, a lawyer in the case, said. “I am very happy with this this ruling
that ends tragic stories for women.”
6)
Rise in female employment
Vision
2030 aims to create 1 million jobs for women. In 2020, the Saudi female labor
force participation increased from 25.9 percent in the first quarter to 31.4
percent in the second quarter.
Over
the last four years, the rate of female unemployment in the Kingdom decreased
by 13.9 percent.
Women
cannot be discriminated against on the basis of their gender when it comes to
private sector salaries, announced Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources
and Social Development on September 14, 2020.
“It
is forbidden for an employer in the private sector to discriminate between
workers on the basis of gender, age, or disability with regard to working
conditions while hiring them,” according to the ministry.
7)
Right to serve in the military
In
February 2018, Saudi Arabia gave women the opportunity to work in security
services for the interior ministry, departments of criminal investigations,
security patrol and pilgrimage security.
In
October 2019, the Kingdom opened the armed forces to women, saying they would
be able to serve in the ranks of private first class, corporal or sergeant.
8)
Riyadh named Capital for Arab Women 2020'
Saudi
Arabia’s capital Riyadh was declared the “Capital for Arab Women” in 2020.
The
award came from the Arab Women’s Committee, during its 39th session held in the
capital, which met under the slogan “Women are a homeland and an ambition.”
“In
line with the words of [Saudi Arabian] Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and as
many minister[s] have confirmed… we believe that the issues [concerning] women
[concern] everyone,” Saudi Arabian Secretary-General of the Family Affairs
Council Dr. Hala al-Tuwaijri said.
9)
Women join Human Rights Council
Saudi
Arabia appointed 13 women to the Kingdom’s Human Rights Council (HRC) on July
2, 2020. The 13 women now make up half of the board’s members.
The
decision to appoint the women to the council’s board is a continuation of the
leadership’s efforts to empower women to occupy leadership positions in various
fields,” HRC President Awwad Alawwad said.
10)
Female CEO of SRMG
The
Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG) has appointed Joumana al-Rashed as
the new chief executive officer (CEO), the company announced in a statement in
October 2020.
Al-Rashed
is the first Saudi Arabian woman to hold the position.
Invest
in women
“So
far Saudi Arabia has come a long way in supporting women. I think it’s
important now to invest in institutions that are working on gender empowerment
and institutions that promote economic, political and civil rights for women,”
Dr. Najah Al-Otaibi, a Saudi policy analyst based in London, United Kingdom,
told Al Arabiya English.
Al-Otaibi
also suggested that the Kingdom creates a Supreme Council for Women in Saudi
Arabia, to empower them and “merge their needs in the development programs
already taking place under the Vision 2030 program.”
She
added that the Kingdom could benefit from “increasing women’s representation in
state bureaucracy, especially in its upper echelons,” as Saudi Arabia currently
has no female ministers.
“This
can be achieved by imposing a gender quota system,” she said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/10/18/Top-10-moments-for-Saudi-Arabian-women-since-Vision-2030
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How
Saudi nonprofit Alnahda blazed a trail in women’s empowerment
LOJIEN
BEN GAASEM
October
18, 2020
RIYADH:
It has been 58 years since Alnahda Philanthropic Society for Women was
established in Saudi Arabia to encourage female participation in society and
help create a world of justice and equal opportunities.
And
now, in recognition of its celebrated work, the organization has won King
Salman’s endorsement to helm the Women 20 (W20) — the official G20 engagement
group on women — in the run-up to the leaders’ summit in November.
Alnahda,
which means “the awakening,” was founded in 1962 to help empower Saudi women
economically and socially through targeted development projects. In June 2019,
it was officially accredited by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Its
mission is to ensure a community environment that is conducive to women’s
participation, preserves their dignity, and helps build their capacity to reach
positions of leadership.
At
the helm of the W20 Riyadh edition, Alnahda will help facilitate discussions
among a network of delegates representing non-governmental women’s
organizations, female entrepreneurs, and think tanks from across the G20 member
states.
The
aim is to ensure gender considerations are placed firmly on the agenda and are
included in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration as policies and commitments that
foster gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
The
W20 is only the latest achievement in the foundation’s long history. Muneera
Al-Touq, who sits on the Alnahda board, told Arab News the foundation was one
of the oldest charitable organizations in the Kingdom, founded by Princess Sara
Al-Faisal and a number of other women with the encouragement of Queen Effat,
the pioneer of Saudi women’s education.
Al-Touq,
an expert in community services, statistics, and epidemiology, joined Alnahda
in 2010 to examine the foundation’s training programs, judge their efficiency,
and consider how they could be improved. She was elected to the board in 2014.
“I
saw the people who ran it, the people who founded it. It was always something
that was different and pioneering. They were always ahead of their time. They
think of everything before it happens. And the quality of their programs, the
quality of work, is truly of a high standard.”
Recounting
the formative period of the organization, she said: “Alnahda’s founders started
with general charity work in their community, but there was a big focus on
working in the field of women’s illiteracy and fulfilling beneficiaries’ basic
needs in terms of food, shelter, and clothing.
“This
was in the early 1960s and, as Alnahda grew, its knowledge of these needs
became clearer, helping to navigate through them. As the Kingdom developed, so
did women’s needs.”
Alnahda’s
programs continue to evolve and develop, as do the needs of the woman they
target, said Al-Touq.
“We
will always support and help women to become active members of our society. We
will always try to ensure that the social environment and local community help
women to build their capabilities and reach leadership positions.
“How
we do that has a lot to do with what’s happening around us. And we’ve seen so
many positive changes and advances for women in the Kingdom that have
accelerated our work very quickly, and we will continue to keep up with that
and develop programs to support them and head into the future where I think
there are no limits,” she added.
As
the CEO of Alnahda since 2013, Rasha Al-Turki oversees the foundation’s
strategy, direction, and financial health.
She
told Arab News: “I first joined Alnahda as chief project officer in 2010. I
joined because Alnahda is the leading organization in the field of women’s
socio-economic development, a cause I have been dedicated to for most of my
life. My personal educational and professional goals have always revolved
around women’s empowerment.”
Al-Turki
said Alnahda provided space to be creative, to try new things, and to come up
with new solutions without the heavy burden of bureaucracy.
“I
think for people who are dedicated to a cause, it’s important to be in such an
environment that fosters new ways of thinking and encourages employees to be
nimble and to react to changing realities or become proactive with solving
issues,” she added.
Alnahda’s
work covers the main areas of grassroots assistance, research, and advocacy.
In
its grassroots assistance, the foundation works directly with its thousands of
beneficiaries, offering programs on career and capacity development. The bulk
of its beneficiaries are covered by its financial and social support program,
with assistance given to almost 400 families each year — around 2,500
individuals.
“We
look at how we can help develop the family in a holistic approach. So, we
always look into all development needs of the entire family unit when we are
creating their development plan collaboratively with the beneficiaries,”
Al-Turki said.
“Our
financial support is used as a tool to lighten their financial burdens thereby
allowing them the mental and emotional space to set and execute a development
plan for themselves and their household with the assistance of their social
worker.
“The
fulfilment of this plan is essential to ensuring that they and their family are
able to break the cycle of inherited poverty and graduate out of financial
assistance — both ours and social security.”
In
terms of research, Alnahda looks for new ways to improve the efficiency of its
programs and the design of policies that target women, involving policymakers,
social scientists, and other stakeholders.
In
its advocacy, meanwhile, the foundation raises awareness among local and
international policymakers to help promote women’s socio-economic inclusion.
None
of this would be possible without Alnahda donors, who fall into three main
categories. Al-Turki said. “We have individuals, who are the biggest source of
our revenue. We also receive grants from companies, usually from their CSR
(corporate social responsibility) departments.
“Then
we have some companies that will ask us to do a particular project for which we
get compensated. We sometimes receive funding from the government for
particular projects.”
The
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has placed new pressures on households.
Early on, Alnahda was able to give immediate financial assistance to
beneficiaries who had lost their jobs, help them pay rent, and prepare their
homes for the lockdown.
“Before
last summer, we collected and distributed more than 500 computers for 350
families,” added Al-Turki.
However,
when virtual teaching resumed after the summer break, Alnahda realized one
computer per family was not enough. That is why it launched Thaber — which
means “persistent” — to help provide more devices and internet subscriptions,
allowing students to flourish in the new virtual learning environment.
But
empowerment is about more than just surviving tough economic times. During
Saudi Arabia’s 2015 municipal council elections, which allowed women to
participate as voters and candidates for the first time, Alnahda launched an
influence-awareness campaign. Al-Touq said one of the foundation’s
beneficiaries went on to win a seat in the election and became a community
champion.
“Her
story shows what Alnahda means. Our vision is to help these women become
effective partners in the development of our society. So, when she goes from
needing the help of Alnahda to becoming a representative for her community,
it’s inspirational and it motivates us to keep working,” she added.
“It’s
not a matter of helping someone reach a goal, it’s a matter of helping someone
blossom into the best version of themselves. It is a matter of positively
changing the individuals, their households, and their communities. And I think
that’s where Alnahda stands out.”
A
goal Al-Turki would like to see the foundation work toward was greater
inclusivity. “I’d really like to be more inclusive of men within our
organization, because I believe that only when women and men work together are
they able to come up with better solutions and achieve a more sustainable
impact.
“We’ve
already started being more inclusive in our programming, especially when it
comes to the beneficiaries. We believe that we rise and fall together,” she
said.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1750761/saudi-arabia
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Waiter
jailed for secretly filming women in Dubai
October
19, 2020
Ali
Al Shouk
Dubai:
The Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday sentenced a waiter to three months
in prison for using his phone to record his countrywomen while they having a
shower inside a sharing accommodation. The defendant will be deported after
serving his jail term.
According
to official records, the 27-year-old Filipino defendant used to put his mobile
phone in the shower and other places of the apartment at Al Muraqabbat area, to
record female tenants without their knowledge.
Case
details
In
August, a Filipina who was staying in the apartment for three years, testified
that it was around 5am, when she stepped out of the shower and went to her room
to wear her work uniform, she noticed the defendant’s phone placed on the
floor. “The apartment is divided into seven rooms and has five sharing
bathrooms and a kitchen. I saw the phone on the ground and the camera was
recording. The defendant came and tried to take the phone but I saw clips for
my roommates naked in the shower,” said the Filipina in official records. She
said that she saw a clip for her stepping outside the shower and wearing her
clothes.
The
defendant came and took the phone from her hands to delete the clip but she
pulled the phone back and alerted Dubai Police. “He deleted the clip but the
phone still had other videos for women while having a shower. He placed the
phone in the ceiling and pointed the camera to the shower. There were many
clips on his phone for different women,” the victim added.
During
interrogation, the defendant confessed to recording the women in the shower
using his mobile phone. Dubai Public Prosecution charged the defendant with
sexually abusing women and using his mobile phone to breach the privacy of the
victims.
https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/waiter-jailed-for-secretly-filming-women-in-dubai-1.74670028
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Order
of Royal Commendations conferred on five Omani women for their contribution to
nation
October
18, 2020
Raajeshwari
Ashok
Muscat:
As Oman celebrated Omani Women’s Day yesterday, there was another reason that
made the celebrations even more meaningful. His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin
Tarik conferred the Order of Royal Commendations on five Omani women for their
contribution to the nation. Another fifty Omani women from various other
fields, and who had played a notable role country’s welfare and progress were
also honoured during this occasion.
The
Honourable Lady, Wife of His Majesty Sultan Haitham, presented the medals at Al
Barakah Palace yesterday. The five women who were conferred the Order of the
Royal Commendations were, Dr. Fatma bint Muhammad al Ajmiya, Undersecretary for
Administrative, Financial and Planning Affairs in the Ministry of Health, who
was conferred the Order of Royal Commendation, Second Class, Aisha bint Omar al
Habshiyah, Farida bint Musa al Balushi, Zahra bint al Awfiya and Eng Yusra bint
Khalaf al Subhiya who were conferred the Order of Royal Commendation, Third
Class.
The
Council of Ministers issued a statement on the occasion of Omani Women’s Day,
congratulating the women and appreciating the efforts of Omani women in the
building of the nation, reports a leading Arabic media.
The
Council of Ministers message hailed the role of women who have participated in
constructive roles in the national work. “Omani women have consolidated their
achievements in various sectors in the government and private sectors. They
have excelled in their role in representing Oman in regional and international
forums. This is a token in support of their efforts, side-by-side with men, in
the comprehensive development the country is witnessing,’ said the message.
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/oman/order-of-royal-commendations-conferred-on-five-omani-women-for-their-contribution-to-nation-1.74652333
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